


In The Name of Love

by Sparrow_Girl1998



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Protective!Richard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 14:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17941649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparrow_Girl1998/pseuds/Sparrow_Girl1998
Summary: When Richard finds out that Anne was privy to an intimate moment between his brother and the queen and humiliated in the process, he decides to confront the Queen to protect Anne. In the process, he learns that he would protect Anne from the Emperor of the world if he could kiss her everyday and look at how beautiful she was while doing so.





	In The Name of Love

**Author's Note:**

> The is a oneshot on Anne and Richard. It is based around a scene in episode 2 or 3 of White Queen I think where Elizabeth and Edward throw their clothes on Anne while making love. I felt really angry at their treatment of Anne and I suppose even Richard would be angry given his views on honour and his love for Anne of course. :)

Anne felt like crying. She Anne Neville, daughter of the kingmaker had just been humiliated by the king and queen. Ever since her appointment as the queen’s handmaiden, the queen had taken advantage of the young Anne to get back at her father. Just the other day she had messed up her jewelry box and had made Anne spent almost the entire night sorting the jewels back. And today she had forced Anne to stay when she and the king had begun disrobing while making love. She couldn’t remove the image of their naked bodies entangled together as they tossed their underclothes in her arms.

For some sinful reason, she imagined herself in Richard’s arms like that one day. Her sweet gentle Richard would never mistreat handmaidens like his lord brother and sister-law did. 

Tonight the queen had put Anne to another impossible task. She had to stitch new clothes for the princesses within a day. And not just any clothes. Dresses made from pure satin with golden thread embroidery for the princesses to wear in royal court. It seems that Anne’s mother had boasted about her threadwork to the Queen and now she was testing Anne on it. Anne was exhausted with keeping up with the Queen’s strange demands especially after what she had been forced to watch today.

“Anne, are you okay?”

Anne looked up to realize that she was crying in one of the castle’s many passageways. Richard was standing next to her with a look of concern plastered on his face. 

Anne brushed her tears away and tried smiling but she couldn’t. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to her.

“I’m fine Richard.”

“If you are fine then why are you crying Anne? He asked. He had placed his hand gently on Anne’s shoulder and it felt like a bolt of lightning had run through Anne’s system

“I’m just very homesick for Middleham, Richard.” She fibbed.

“You’re lying Anne. I’ve known you for far too long to fall for your lies.” 

“Richard, it is the truth.” She protested weakly.

Suddenly Anne collapsed on floor. Before she fell, Richard caught her body. He noticed the dark patches under her lovely green eyes and her swollen red fingers.

He gently took one of her fingers in his calloused hand and rubbed it. Anne felt relief but she pulled it away. Only with her lord husband could she share such intimacies.

“Anne, is it the queen?” He finally asked after helping her up. He still kept a steady hand on her back to support her, scared that she would fall again and this time he wouldn’t be able to catch her.

“It’s not the Queen, Richard. I had to stitch some new clothes for your nieces that is why my fingers are swollen.”

“But the Queen would have ordered you to do so, right? And, you a master seamstress would never get swollen fingers unless you were overworking them.”

“It’s my duty as the handmaiden of the Queen.”

“You Neville girls care too much about following rules. You can come and talk to me if the Queen is being harsh to you”

“Oh but Richard, I don’t want to cause any conflict between you and the Queen. After all she is your lord brother’s wife.”

“Yes, but I am a royal duke Anne. Even I hold some power in court and so do you as the kingmaker’s daughter.”

Anne nodded and Richard smiled at her. He still felt there was something Anne was hiding from him about the queen’s behavior towards her.

“Is there anything else the Queen has tried to do to you Anne? I know she is taking her anger out on Lord Warwick on you.”  
Anne gulped before saying, “She made we watch her and the King make love. They…… tossed their clothes into my hands and…” She broke off into tears again.

Richard was infuriated. The Queen treating Anne terribly was one thing but his brother partaking in such lowly behavior as well. Anne was to be his future wife someday if Warwick did not have another rebellion up his sleeve. And then there was the fact that he loved Anne and wanted absolutely no harm to come to her. Maybe this was the love his mother talk about when she remembered his lord father. Not the passionate and lustful relationship between Elizabeth and Edward, but rather a desire to protect and nurture one another.

“I should have never admitted this to you Richard. It was horrible of me.” Anne said wiping her tears away.

“What did I say about you being the kingmaker’s daughter and me being a royal duke? Sweet Anne, one day I will be your lord husband and I wish that no harm ever come of you.”

Anne was shocked. Did Richard just suggest that he wanted to be her lord husband?” She blushed a crimson red.

“I will talk to Queen tomorrow.” He said before leading Anne to her chambers  
*  
Elizabeth Woodville was unaccustomed to private visits from her husband’s youngest brother, Duke Richard. Still she remembered that unlike George, Richard stood behind the back of his brother and would never be disloyal to him. She welcomed her husband’s younger brother.

“Would you like to share some wine and cheese?” She suggested.

“I have come to talk to you about your treatment of Lady Anne.”

Elizabeth paused while pouring herself a glass of wine. She had noticed the longing glances Richard had given the younger Neville daughter in court. Also, she was one of the few people who seemed to be able to make him smile which was a rare feat in itself.

“What about my treatment?” She asked sitting down while balancing the goblet of wine.

“She is often tired….. and you make her privy to intimate acts between you and my lord brother. A lady of her station should not be treated in such a manner.” He said seriously not taking his wine or cheese which Elizabeth had laid out for him.

“And what about the way her father treated my father and brother? Can she bring them back from the dead?” Elizabeth rose up with her face flushed with anger.

“Anne was not responsible for their deaths. It was her lord father. And believe me when I say that Anne being the pious lady she is must be praying every day for the safety of their souls in heaven.” Richard had stood up from his seat.

“You love her don’t you?” Elizabeth asked calming her tone.

“Irrespective of whether…..

“Admit it Richard” She cut him midsentence. “You would not have done this for another handmaiden.”

Richard was shocked into silence.

“She will make a good wife one day and an excellent mother to your children. I will see to it that I don’t mistreat her for your sake.”

And with that Richard was dismissed from his sister in law’s chambers.  
*  
Anne was amazed to find that the Queen had extended her deadline for completing the clothes. Also, the queen seemed in a better mood around her. She even asked Anne questions about her life in Middleham as a girl.

“You talked to her didn’t you, Richard?” Anne asked him one day when she bumped into him in the caste hall at night.

“I did. I hope she is treating you better now Anne.”

“Yes she is. Thank you Richard.”  
And with that she kissed him despite knowing it was sinful to do so before marriage and she would have to repent a hundred times over for this. Her lips were soft against his and he touched her cheek gently. 

She broke away and he noticed her face was beautifully flushed. Before he could respond, she had disappeared into the darkness again. If she kissed like that and looked so beautiful doing so, Richard would stand up against the Emperor of the world for her.


End file.
